


In His Ear

by ThirdGenerationRockette



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Mostly Smut, Oops, Post Series, Smut, but not by much, very little plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 21:44:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13749825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirdGenerationRockette/pseuds/ThirdGenerationRockette
Summary: She watches as the main screen goes to commercials, and as the live feed screen shows Will looking down at the papers on his desk, a slight frown on his face as he reads over them. Before she thinks it through properly, she has already picked up the phone and has Jim on the line.





	1. Chapter 1

8.17pm, three minutes to commercials. She may not produce the show anymore but the timings are engraved into her brain, News Night still as big a part of her life as ever despite having moved nineteen floors closer to the clouds. She gets to watch him from up here now, she gets to see what the viewer sees, and although she likes it, it is so very different. It hasn’t been easy, it’s taken weeks for her to be able to fight the nightly urge to go downstairs and watch from the control room, knowing it’s Jim’s now and she needs to give him space to find his rhythm, to fall into step with Will. So instead of crashing the control room, she finds herself talking back at the screens on her office wall and then grinning at her own silliness.

She watches as the main screen goes to commercials, and as the live feed screen shows Will looking down at the papers on his desk, a slight frown on his face as he reads over them. Before she thinks it through properly, she has already picked up the phone and has Jim on the line.

“Mac?” he asks, sounding concerned. "You okay?"

“I’m fine,” she says, smiling up at the live feed screen. “Could you do me a favour? Could you put me in his ear?”

“Will’s?” He sounds even more confused.

“Yes, Will’s.” She laughs and waits for the faint click telling her she’s in her husband’s ear. “Billy?”

Looking up at the screen, she sees his head snap up and is comforted to think maybe he forgets too that she isn’t in the control room anymore…not that he could ever see her then either, but he always used to look into the camera as if he could.

“Everything alright?” he asks, his concerned tone mirroring that of Jim’s a few seconds earlier. 

“Why is that everyone’s first question?” she asks. “I’m pregnant, not falling apart.”

“I wasn’t suggesting for a second that you were,” he says, a faint smile on his lips that she smiles back at, regardless of them being connected only by audio. “But you don’t often…actually, you’ve never appeared in my ear mid-show.”

“I know. I actually forgot I could until I glanced up at the live feed and remembered seeing Charlie do it a couple of times.” She pauses. “Anyway, here I am in your ear and you’ve spent half of your commercial time asking me why I’m calling you.”

“I’m an idiot.” He states it simply but there’s a smirk on his face.

“What I wanted to say is that I’m tired and about to head home,” she says, picking up her Blackberry from the desk and sliding it into her handbag as she stands up. “Can we order something in tonight? I don’t know what tiny McAvoy is doing in here right now but I am so damn hungry _all_ the time.”

“Sure.” He grins into the camera again. “Order whatever you want, and I’ll head straight home. Oh, and growing.”

“What?” she asks, as she knows he has about twenty seconds to air. “What tiny McAvoy is doing in there,” he says. “Growing.”

“Are you saying I’m getting fat?” She narrows her eyes at him before she remembers he can’t see her.

“Ten seconds, hon.” He looks up and winks into the camera and she can’t help the giggle that escapes her. “And never. You’re beautiful.”

“Good save,” she says quickly. “See you at home.”

*

She’s in the kitchen when he gets home, she has beer for him, peach iced tea for her (the craving that won't seem to quit), and the food has just arrived. He walks over to stand behind her and slides his arms around her, leaning down and kissing the side of her neck as he rubs his hands gently across her stomach.

“I didn’t see you at all today,” he says, his words tickling her skin.

“That’s where I have the advantage of having a husband I can watch on live TV for an hour every night.” She covers his hands with hers and smiles. “I always get to see you, even when I’m too busy all damn day to come downstairs for even a minute.”

“You came home because you were tired?” he asks. “You’re alright?”

“I’m fine.” She turns in his arms and looks up at him, sliding her hands to rest on his shoulders.

“And tiny in here?” His hands move back down to her slightly rounded belly, pushing her t-shirt up to run his thumbs slowly across her skin.

“Tiny here is an apple,” she says, smiling. “Week fifteen, your baby is approximately the size of an apple.”

“We’re having an apple.” He smiles back at her.

“An apple who is wearing me out, making me feel giant, making me hungry almost all the time, and…” She leans up and kisses him, hard and fast, before pulling back. “So unbelievably horny. I have genuinely never been so horny in my _life_.”

“I can help with that,” he says, smirking.

“We’re going to eat and then that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” She steps out of his arms and back to the food on the counter.

“Are you sure you ordered enough for the ten people apparently joining us tonight?” he asks, ducking out of her way and reaching for two plates.

“Oh, you do not want to mess with me, McAvoy, when I’m feeling like this.” She smirks at him and picks up the takeout cartons.

“Really?” He follows her as she heads into the living room. “I thought you needed my help tonight?”

“I could absolutely sort myself out and make you watch,” she says as she sits down and puts the food down on the coffee table.

“You would not!” He puts the plates down too and turns back for the drinks.

"I said I could." She smirks. "I didn't say I _would_. Don't worry, you'll get yours tonight." 

"Honey, you're not..." He hands her the iced tea and puts his beer on the table. 

"Thanks." She takes a sip. "I'm not what?"

"You're not wearing any pants," he says, gesturing to her bare thighs.

"It's August, it's hot, and I'm pregnant," she answers. "So no, I'm not wearing pants. Do my bare legs offend you, sir?"

"Your bare legs are one of my favourite things." He runs a hand slowly up her thigh for emphasis. " _Two_ of my favourite things."

"Well...eat your damn takeout and you can get your head between them." She reaches for a dumpling and grins at him before taking a bite.

"Hang on." He pauses, a smirk on his face. "Did you let the delivery guy in with no pants on?" 

"I can't be certain," she says, pausing to finish chewing. "But I'm pretty sure he had pants on." 

"You're funny." He takes a mouthful of beer and slides his hand higher up her thigh.

"He thought so too. I told him if my husband wasn't home in ten minutes he should come in and make himself comfortable." She pushes his hand down towards her knee, and grabs a second dumpling. "You made it just in time."

"Lucky you." He smirks.

"Lucky _you_." She laughs and pops the dumpling in her mouth.

He reaches for the broccoli but she stops his hand before it makes the plate, shaking her head. "What?" He frowns. "You're craving all the broccoli?"

"Not really," she says, passing him some carrots instead. "Just...no broccoli for you. Not tonight." 

"Do I even want to ask why?" He shrugs and takes the carrots.

"I think you just did," she replies with a matching shrug. "Broccoli has quite a flavour so...you know."

"Right..." He looks at her, clearly totally baffled.

"God, do I have to spell it out for you?" She pauses and he raises his eyebrows, waiting. "It makes your... _stuff_ taste bad, and I don't want to have to be reaching for a spittoon. Simple as that."

"Holy shit," he says quietly.

"What?" She grins at him. "All I'm saying is I like my Billy juice without the hint of broccoli."

*

"I've read about this, you know," he says, sounding inordinately proud of himself. "This second trimester libido thing."

"Read about it?" She smirks and prods him in the chest. "You're living with it, mister." 

"I'm okay with that." He kisses her again and she sighs against him.

"I don't know, I'm a little bit worried I might wear you out, old man," she says, giggling at the affronted look on his face.

"If that's a challenge..." He slides his hands up her back, pulling her t-shirt over her head and watching her as she stands at the end of the bed in only her black panties. "I accept."

It's Will, so her sudden rush of self-consciousness surprises her and she has to fight the urge to grab her t-shirt and hide herself under it. She feels bigger than she knows she is, her boobs feel like they aren't her own (she's aware that soon, for a little while, they won't be) and she's overwhelmed by her need for him like never before. The way he's looking at her lifts her uncertainty, his eyes are full of hunger, of longing, and when his gaze runs slowly down her body she lets out a long sigh.

"It's weird," she says, pushing him down to sit on the bed, and stepping between his knees. "I know I've never looked less sexy in my life but fuck, I feel so-"

"You're not serious?" He tilts his head. "You _are_ serious. Dammit, Mackenzie, I don't know what mirror you're looking in but honestly? Sexier than ever, honey, I swear to God."

"I'm chunky, Billy." She laughs as he leans forward and softly kisses the swell of her abdomen. "Are you saying I could have been existing on donuts all these years and it would have been doing it for you?"

"You're not chunky, you're pregnant," he says firmly, running his finger across her middle. "This is a hipbone, and _this_ right here is a baby, our baby."

"So no, to the donuts?" She smiles as he shakes his head.

"Stop deflecting, I'm serious." His hands run up her stomach and she smiles, knowing where he's heading. "You look fucking gorgeous, and these...well, these are magnificent."

His eyes settle on her breasts, his hands just underneath, and she smiles again at how well she knows him. Yes, he's a committed leg man, but there was no way this latest development was going to go unnoticed.

He puts his tongue on her skin and flicks a few slow, gentle strokes across her nipple, as his thumbs move to the sides of her breasts. She moans slightly and threads a hand through his hair as his tongue moves again, but when he takes her nipple fully into his mouth, she stops him with a tug of her fingers and a faint whimper.

"Sorry," he says quickly. "I didn't...does that hurt?"

"No." She shakes her head and smiles at him. "They're just really sensitive, shit...do the thing with your tongue again though, that was nice."

"Okay." He sounds wary and she tightens her grip in his hair. "Will, if I need you to stop, I'll tell you to stop, I promise."

His tongue runs slowly around her nipple, and when he slides his hand into her panties she feels her knees buckle slightly and reaches for his shoulder to steady herself. His fingers start to press against her and she moans, a moan that turns into a surprised, breathy laugh when she comes against him barely a minute later.

"Did you just...?" His eyes are wide as he pulls his mouth from her breast and stares up at her, his hand still in position, his fingers moving slowly as he grins. "Yeah, you did."

"You didn't read about this second trimester phenomenon during your research?" She bites her lip as his hand continues to move and she digs her fingers into his shoulder.

"You mean this isn't..." He stands up from the bed and kisses her, his fingers moving faster against her as she moans his name. "My magic fingers?"

"Hormones," she says, panting softly. "Keep going...pretty sure the second time will be all down to your magic fingers."

He slides his free arm around her, pulling her towards him and she buries her face into the side of his neck as his fingers keep moving, and as he picks up the pace even more she opens her mouth and runs her tongue across his skin. His hand on her back moves in gentle circles around her shoulder blade, and she feels his breath in her ear, his low, warm voice pushing her closer. When he hooks his middle finger and pushes it slowly inside her, she comes again, harder this time, grasping his shoulder even tighter as she shudders against him, moaning his name as he slides his finger out of her.

Lifting her head from his shoulder, she kisses him, running her tongue across his lips, tangling her fingers in his hair, smiling at him when she pulls back.

"Well, I did warn you I was hornier than I'd ever been in my life." She takes his hand and climbs onto the bed, pulling him with her and grinning happily at him as he settles beside her.

"You did, and I'm glad I could be of service," he says as he runs a hand down her bare arm and leans in to kiss her shoulder. "I should prepare to be worn the fuck out over the next couple of months, right?"

"I'll try not to break you." She giggles as his tongue darts out to tickle her shoulder. "You can always let me know if it gets too much and I can put delivery guy on standby."

"Delivery guy for food." He raises his head and smiles, reaching absently for a lock of hair, twirling it slowly around his finger. "Husband for everything else."

"Alright then..." She grins and runs her foot slowly up his calf before eventually hooking it over his thigh and shifting closer to him. "I'm ready for your everything else now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Lunch with Leona has become a fairly regular thing and she's come to look forward to it. Leona is honest, direct, unbelievably wise, and since Mackenzie has started to see her as a friend rather than Mrs Lansing: She Who Must Be Feared, she has come to enjoy how much fun she is too._

"You look great, Mac." Leona watches as she shifts slightly in her seat and sighs. "You're what now, fifteen, sixteen weeks?"

"Yeah." She nods. "Sixteen, nearly seventeen." 

"You feeling okay?" Leona asks.

"I feel fine, really. I'm so much less tired which is such a relief, I thought I was just going to have to get used to being permanently exhausted." She smiles, pausing to take a sip of iced tea, gazing longingly at Leona's wine for a second. "I'm just-"

"Totally fucking uncomfortable in all your clothes, worried your boobs are trying to explode, hungry, horny." Leona smirks at her across the table. "All of the above?"

"I'd say that about covers it, yeah." Smiling, she shakes her head slightly.

"I'll bet your husband is loving all of it." Leona laughs. "Fucking _great_ pair of boobs, extra pizza, tons of sex."

"It is working out pretty well for him." She pauses as their food arrives, smiling at the waiter. "Thank you."

Lunch with Leona has become a fairly regular thing and she's come to look forward to it. Leona is honest, direct, unbelievably wise, and since Mackenzie has started to see her as a friend rather than Mrs Lansing: She Who Must Be Feared, she has come to enjoy how much fun she is too. Last time they saw each other, Mackenzie had been exhausted, approaching the end of her first trimester as well as the end of a really tough first few weeks as ACN's President, and she'd been so overwhelmed by Leona's simple support that she had cried halfway through her meal.

The job is still exhausting, and at times it feels like an impossible task, a daily battle with a man who cares nothing for truth and honesty, and looks at her with complete disdain for the principles she lives by. Her constant feeling of fatigue having finally lifted in the last couple of weeks has helped, as has her ability to make it through entire days now without crying. If she could only conquer her pangs of longing for the control room, if she could just get used to how _lonely_ her office feels compared to the bustle of the newsroom, everything would be fine.

"How's Jim doing?” Leona asks. "Is Will giving him a hard time for the sheer audacity of not being you?"

"Actually, I think they're really starting to hit their stride now." She smiles. "Which is good." 

"Is it?" Leona narrows her eyes at her across the table.

"Of course," she says quickly. "Pruit cares about ratings, I care about quality, and we seem to be managing both with News Night right now."

"You still miss it down there, don't you?" Leona's tone softens and she raises an eyebrow.

"It's ridiculous, I know." She glances away briefly before sighing and looking back at Leona, who is chewing on a mouthful of salad and waiting for her to go on. "I just...the control room is what I know. I'm used to the constant noise and the people, and Charlie's office... _my_ office, is so quiet. It's getting better but I do miss it, yeah."

"You know you're the boss, right?" Leona puts down her fork and leans forward slightly. "You can go down there and visit whenever the fuck you want."

"I know." She nods. "And I do. I'm just trying really hard not to do it too often. I want to give Jim time to let it start to feel like his, not like he's just covering for me, and he can't do that if I'm always down there. I do sometimes call down and have him put me in Will's ear though."

"Mid-show?" Leona asks, a smirk on her lips.

"Commercials." She shrugs and picks up her sandwich. "I like to catch him off-guard." 

"Good for you!" Leona laughs and reaches for her glass, taking a mouthful of wine.

"I know I live with him and everything, but I was so used to being in his ear for years...it's what I miss." She pauses, smiling faintly. "Plus there's something seriously entertaining about watching his face on the live feed when I call just to tell him what I plan to do to him when I get him home."

"I'll bet! Hell, you're going to be lugging his baby around in your belly for the next five months, Mac," Leona says with a smirk. "The least he can do is drop everything when you need to get laid."

"Yeah, he figured that out pretty quickly." She smiles again and takes a bite of her sandwich.

"I'm not so ancient that I don't remember how good those couple of months are." Leona pauses, a thoughtful look crossing her face before she grins again. "All you want to do is eat and fuck, right?"

She snorts, thrown off by Leona's blunt assessment, even though she really should be, and mostly is used to her direct approach by now. Putting down her sandwich, she reaches for her iced tea and takes a mouthful before she answers.

"Right now, if I could drink peach iced tea, eat dumplings and stay in bed with Will all day..." She smiles. "Then yeah, that's exactly what I'd do."

"I guess I don't need to ask how you two are spending the weekend." Leona lifts an eyebrow. 

"Not really." She shakes her head. "I do intend to drag him out shopping though, I really need some clothes that I can breathe in."

"Damn right," Leona says, flagging down a waiter and ordering a second drink for both of them. "He knocked you up, he can pay for the incidental expenses."

"Yeah, he did." She smiles across the table. "Every so often, I think 'holy shit, I'm pregnant.' Is that normal, do you think, or should it really have sunk in properly by now?"

"Oh honey, you just wait until that little one starts moving around properly in there." Leona gestures in the direction of her stomach and grins. "It'll blow your fucking mind."

"I'm excited for that," she says, running a hand over her belly. "Maybe I'll stop feeling like I'm just getting fat, and more like I'm actually pregnant, I don't know. I think part of it is that it was such a surprise, I suppose."

"You guys weren't trying?" Leona looks surprised as Mackenzie shakes her head. "I just figured you thought there was no sense in waiting, you know, not being in your twenties anymore."

"Hell, I'm only just hanging on to my thirties, but no, we weren't, not really. I mean, we weren't exactly being...careful," she says with a smile. "But we didn't know if I could, after the stabbing...the doctors said they didn't know if my getting pregnant was an option, and of course back then it really didn't matter anyway, you know."

"You talked about having kids with Will?" Leona asks. "The first time?"

"We did." She nods, sighing as she thinks about that conversation and how she'd realised with an overwhelming certainty that marriage and a family with Will was what she wanted. "Then we talked about it again pretty soon after we got engaged, but we knew things were different, we both wanted the same but we knew we were up against it this time around. You're right, I'm not as young as I was, and when you throw into that the potential difficulties with my fucking scar tissue, a cycle with a mind of its own, and yeah..."

"Well, the McBaby in there was obviously pretty determined!" Leona thanks the waiter as he puts down their drinks and smiles at Mackenzie.

"It looks that way," she says. "Do you think...taking on this job was insane? With a baby on the way, I mean?"

"I absolutely do not! Not in the slightest, you can do this job with your fucking eyes shut, Mac," Leona replies without hesitation. "The hours are more flexible than when you were an EP, you can work from home far more easily, there's room in your office for a sleeping baby, and hell, you have a ready made team of babysitters twenty floors down. You'll be fine."

*

"Hey." Jim picks up the phone and she knows he's smiling. "You want to go through?"

"Thanks, Jim," she says. "Two minutes, right?"

"Yep." She hears the click, knows she's in Will's ear and lowers her voice slightly. "Hey, honey...good show so far."

"Mrs McAvoy." He sounds surprised but not totally thrown off balance like he was the first few times she did this. "What can I do for you?"

"Right now, nothing more than finish the show," she says, watching him on the screen as he glances into the camera, a hint of a smile on his face. "After that? We're going to go home and you're going to be inside me as fast as humanly possible. How does that sound?"

She's aware that this is slightly cruel when he's back on air in a minute and a half, but she's spent the last two hours struggling to make sense of a stack of quarterly reports when all she could think about was climbing into his lap, so it's seems fair to push some of this onto him. She didn't get into this predicament without his help, after all.

"Jesus, Mac," he murmurs as he sighs, his eyes widening. "You know I have seventeen more minutes on air..."

"I do know that." She lets out a long sigh down the phone, biting back a laugh when she sees him squirm in his seat slightly. "Seventeen minutes, five minutes to get changed, ten minutes home...I estimate you're going to be on the couch with a lapful of me within the hour."

"Be in my office as soon as we wrap the broadcast and I'll make it forty five minutes," he says quickly.

"Deal." She smiles as she looks at the timer in the corner of her screen. "Sixty back."

"Copy," he says with a smirk. "Try to get through the next seventeen minutes as best you can, honey."

"I'm up here, in my big office, all alone." She pauses, watching as he looks into the camera and raises an eyebrow. "I'm sure I'll have no problem keeping myself... _entertained_ while I watch you."

"I asked for that, didn't I?" He shakes his head and she giggles. 

"Little bit," she says. "I'll see you in seventeen minutes...Will?" 

"Yeah?" He asks, frowning slightly.

"Straighten your tie." Smiling, she puts the phone down and watches as he clears his throat and reaches for his tie, moving it back into place as the final commercial comes to an end.

*

"I've been thinking about this all afternoon." She settles in his lap and runs her fingers through this hair, pushing his hand away when he tries to remove her shirt. "Drowning in quarterly reports and all I could think of was coming home and getting you inside me."

"All afternoon, huh?" He kisses her and squirms slightly as her nails scratch across the back of his neck.

"Mmm." She pushes against him, the slight swell of her belly resting between them. "All _day_ , really."

"Yet you waited until I was live on air to tell me," he says, smirking as he manages this time to push her shirt from her shoulders and into the floor behind her.

"Anticipation is half the pleasure," she says, looking down as he slides his hand slowly over her stomach, over their _baby_ , his thumb moving softly across her skin.

"It's a good thing I do the show from behind a desk." His hand moves to her face, and she looks up and smiles at him.

"These hormones are a fucking beast." She bites her lip as he frowns at her. "I'm just glad this is still working for you, or I'd be in real trouble."

"Mackenzie..." He's about to say more but she stops him.

"I know, I know," she says. "You're going to say that of course I'm still sexy, of course this still does it for you-"

"I'm going to say all of those things because they're true." He cuts in, his voice firm and she smiles sheepishly. "You're in my lap, I think it's pretty fucking obvious what you're doing to me."

"I did tell you I wanted you inside me as quickly as was humanly possible." She shifts and he groans faintly. "I like that you paid attention."

"Well, I'm not a _total_ idiot." He moves her panties aside and slips his fingers inside, grinning up at her when he feels how wet she is.

"As I think you've just guessed, I'm good to go whenever you are, Billy," she says, leaning forward and resting her hands on his shoulders, moaning as his fingers move against her. "Oh...God."

Tilting his hips up slightly, his fingers keep circling as she pushes down on his shoulders and lifts herself just enough to allow him to slide slowly into her, sighing softly as he does. He kisses her slowly, his tongue moving against hers as his hand settles on the side of her neck, his thumb tracing up her jawline. He pulls back and watches her as she starts to move, his eyes dark, his gaze intense.

Briefly, she wonders if sex will ever be as good again as it has been these past few weeks, and then she remembers it's Will and the very second she voices that question, he'll make it his mission in life to make sure it's not only as good, but better. Oh, she knew this was a real thing, this second trimester hormonal madness, but it's been somewhat undersold, if her experiences are anything to go on.

She leans back a fraction, and as her hands grip onto his thighs, she realises she's giving him quite the view of the parts of her anatomy currently trying to escape her bra. He reads her mind and slides a hand forward and pulls the fabric of one cup down, followed by the other. When he licks his lips, she moans and nods at him, knowing he's unsure because things in that area have been so sensitive lately that he's been subject to a fairly strict hands-off policy. Tonight though, she wants him to try, her breasts are aching to be touched, her nipples are hard under only his gaze, and she desperately needs his mouth on her.

"Put your tongue on me, Will," she says, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Please."

His hand keeps up the movement between her legs, his fingers stroking her with such a perfect touch that for a second she forgets to breathe. She slows down again, feeling him hard and full inside her, the sensation proving almost too much to bear as his tongue slides onto her skin. He starts with the lightest of touches, barely a touch at all, and his tongue is warm and wet as he moves it slowly around her nipple. He takes it into his mouth and applies the tiniest amount of pressure, a sucking that feels more like a kiss and that makes her moan so loudly that it seems like it's coming from someone else.

"Is this okay?" He stops and looks up at her, dipping his head again when she nods.

He gives one more long stroke of his tongue before she pulls him up towards her, kissing him and nibbling hard on his bottom lip. She starts to move faster, pushing herself so that he feels even deeper inside her, and when his fingers stop circling and instead start to dance lightly against her, her breath catches and she comes with a cry.

"I love you," she says, her lips pressed to his, her words obscured slightly. Pulling back enough to look into his eyes, she repeats them, in between heavy breaths. "Billy...I love you."

Leaning forward, she rests her hands on his shoulders again and speeds up even further, her eyes firmly on his, noting how his gaze drifts to her mouth when she sighs. He lifts his hand and as he runs his thumb across her bottom lip she takes it into her mouth and sucks softly on it, watching him, mesmerised by the darkness of his eyes as he stares back at her. He blinks slowly and lets out a long, hoarse groan as his hand grasps her hip and he comes into her with one final thrust, his thumb sliding from her mouth to rest against her cheek.

She keeps her eyes on his, smiling as his hand runs down her arm, sending a shiver through her despite the warmth of the room. When his hand reaches hers, he tangles their fingers together and leans in to kiss her cheek, her chin, her neck, and the spot behind her ear that never fails to make her squirm.

"Mmm." His tongue tickles her skin and she giggles softly as he settles his face into the side of her neck and mumbles against her. "My Mackenzie..."

For a few minutes they stay in silence, she listens to his breathing return to normal, feels hers do the same. Her fingers are still laced through his and when she hears the change in his breathing that signals he's on the verge of sleep, she squeezes them tightly until he lifts his head to look at her.

" _Your_ Mackenzie needs the bathroom," she says, moving enough for him to slip slowly out of her. "And then dinner, so don't you dare fall asleep."

"And miss your naked ass walking out of here?" He smirks at her and drops her hand reluctantly as she clambers from his lap. "Never."

*

When she walks into the kitchen, t-shirt and shorts on and her hair thrown into a messy ponytail, he turns and smiles at her.

"We have spaghetti,"he says. "We also have eggs, salad, fruit. What would my good lady wife like this evening?"

"Pancakes." She grins at him. "Right now all I want is breakfast. Pancakes, strawberries, syrup."

"Breakfast for dinner?" He knows how she can always eat pancakes, whether it's midnight or six in the morning so her nod is enough and he turns to grab what he needs from the fridge. "Pancakes it is."

"Can I help?" she asks, leaning back against the counter and watching him as he reaches for a jug, and for the pan.

"Nope. You can stay right there and tell me about your day," he says as he hands her an iced tea and she smiles.

"Well, I didn't have to yell at anyone on Dayside," she says, proudly. "Pruit sent one almost civil email and that was it, he didn't bother me again, and I didn't cry at all today, not _once_."

"Sounds like a good day, honey." He smiles at her and she returns it, realising how much she enjoys evenings like this, the two of them at home, talking, eating, both of them relaxed but playful. Of course the sex they had earlier wasn't unwelcome either...

"It was a good day." She nods and steps closer to him, leaning up to kiss him quickly before letting him get back to the pancakes.

"What was that for?" He looks at her with faint amusement.

"Just, you know..." She shrugs and takes a drink before she continues. "You remind me a lot of that guy on News Night."

"Oh yeah?" His amusement turns into a blatant smirk. "Is that a good thing?"

"Definitely." She puts her drink on the counter and stretches out her hand, running it slowly down his arm. "I like him, he's kind of sexy, looks like he'd be a complete delight between the sheets."

"Really?" He takes her hand and pushes her gently back against the counter. "You should ask him out, I heard he was a real leg man, bit of a thing for hot brunettes, partial to an accent, I think you'd be onto a winner."

"I'll think about it," she says, squeezing his fingers tightly and giggling. "I saw Leona today too, we had lunch."

"How is the lovely Mrs Lansing?" he asks, reluctantly letting go of her hand to carry on with the pancakes.

"Good." She nods, smiling as she sidesteps him to take the strawberries from the fridge before moving to the sink to rinse them. "She said I should spend the weekend eating and fucking."

"She did not!" He spins around and she laughs at his startled expression.

"Well, maybe that wasn't quite what she said." She pauses briefly. "But it was the general instruction."

"Oh God." He frowns slightly as he continues. "Please don't tell me you talk about our sex life with Leona."

"Okay." She shrugs and pops a strawberry into her mouth.

"Okay what?" His frown deepens as finishes eating and grins at him. 

"Okay, I won't tell you." She smirks and he shakes his head. 

"Seriously?" He looks baffled and it makes her laugh.

"You really don't have anything to worry about." She reaches around him for her iced tea, biting back her grin, feeling a little cruel at how much his discomfort is amusing her. "I certainly didn't sell you short."

"Is she..." He pauses, a slightly pained look fleeting across his face. "Is she going to just keep looking south now every time I see her?"

"Jesus Billy, it's not like I gave her your measurements!" She laughs and rests her palm on his back, watching as he pours the pancake mix into the pan.

"Good," he says as he lowers the heat slightly. "Those twelve inches are all yours, Mac, I'd hate to have to share them around."

"Quite right, I wouldn't want you to have to share your forearm with anyone else." She snorts and he turns to her and grins as she leans up to kiss him. "Now finish those pancakes, I'm starving."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"I'm fine, Will." She sighs at the frown refusing to shift. "Look, we got married, you went to prison, Charlie died, I got his job, we're having a baby. It's kind of a lot and some days it knocks me a little bit sideways...today was just one of those days."_

It's been a long day and she isn't even sure why, but she's tired and knows already, at four in the afternoon, that she won't be waiting for Will tonight, she'll be watching the show from home. She's considering taking a break, her eyes need to rest and she's thirsty, when Millie knocks lightly and peeks her head around the door, smiling. Smiling back, Mackenzie gestures for her to come in.

"Everything okay?" she asks, as Millie closes the door behind her.

"There's someone here to see you," Millie says, pausing briefly. "I told her it would be best if she made an appointment but she said she was in the neighbourhood and she would really like to see you if at all possible, and that she's happy to wait if you're busy."

"Did she say what it's about?" She frowns, wondering who it might be but drawing a blank, if it isn't anyone Millie knows.

"She just said to tell you she's from Associated Press, and her name is..." Millie looks down at the note in her hand. "Claire Reiman."

"I don't have anything else in the calendar today, do I?" she asks. "In terms of meetings, I mean." 

"No." Millie shakes her head. "You're all clear for the rest of the day."

“Then it's fine, I was about to tear my eyes from the screen for a few minutes anyway,” she says, nodding at her assistant and wondering if this is a simple courtesy call or if there’s something more. “Show her in."

“Of course.” Millie smiles and turns back towards the door. “I’ll ask if she wants tea or coffee. Can I get you anything?”

“An iced tea would be great, there should be some in the fridge, I think. Thanks, Millie.” Turning back to her screen, she saves the spreadsheet she has open and gives her email a quick glance over, establishing that there’s nothing that can’t wait while she takes fifteen minutes.

The door opens again and Millie shows Claire into the office, smiling as she backs out and heads for her desk. Claire stands for a few seconds, appearing to hesitate before moving closer to where Mackenzie sits.

“Ms McHale.” She holds out her hand as Mackenzie stands up and moves around the desk. “Thank you for seeing me, I appreciate I gave you no notice, but I had a meeting in the neighbourhood and thought I’d drop in on the off chance you had a few minutes.”

“Perfect timing, actually.” Smiling, she shakes her hand and gestures to the chairs in the middle of the office. “I was about to take a bit of a break anyway. And please, call me Mackenzie.”

“It’s good to finally meet you,” Claire says as she sits down, watching as Mackenzie follows and sits opposite her. “I really should start by apologising.”

“Apologising?” she asks, frowning, unsure of what Claire could possibly think she has to apologise for.

“I meant to come and see you long before now, to thank you for the story,” Claire says, pausing as Millie comes in and sets a cup of coffee down in front of Claire, a peach iced tea for Mackenzie, both of them smiling a thank you at her. “It really was incredibly generous of you, and rude of me to not get in touch sooner.”

"Please don't apologise. Really.” She takes a sip of her iced tea, taking a second to breathe in the smell of the coffee in front of her, closing her eyes for a fraction, opening them to find Claire looking at her curiously. She smiles at her, slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I just have days when I really miss coffee.”

“You don’t drink it?” Claire asks, and Mackenzie forgets that just because she feels the size of a house, her pregnancy really isn’t blatantly obvious yet to anyone who doesn’t already know.

“It’s…off-limits.” She looks down and runs a quick hand over her stomach. “For a while anyway.”

“Oh my gosh!” Claire smiles brightly. “You’re expecting a baby, how exciting. I hadn’t even noticed.”

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” She laughs and carries on. “Sometimes I feel like the whole world must be able to tell, so it’s good to know that’s not the case.”

“When is it due, if you don’t mind my asking?” Claire asks, reaching for her coffee and taking a mouthful.

“January,” she answers. “So we still have a little while to go yet.”

"How lovely! January babies are a wonderful gift. It's such a flat, dull month, there's nothing quite like a new baby to brighten things up." Claire says, with a smile.

"My mum said exactly the same thing." She thinks about Penny and her excitement at the impending arrival of her grandchild and it makes her smile. "She had two January babies, so she was quite pleased when I told her when this one was due."

"Is it your first?" Claire asks.

“It is.” She nods. “I’m a bit of a late starter.”

“Nothing wrong with that, my dear.” Claire smiles again. “I had my first at thirty-eight, and I had three by the time I was forty-two.”

“Wow.” Her eyes widen and she smiles back. “I think for now I’ll just focus on this one arriving happy and healthy.”

“A very sensible approach,” Claire says, putting down her coffee, her face turning serious. “I was also so sorry to hear about Charlie Skinner, I’m sure you all miss him terribly.”

“Thank you.” She swallows hard, suddenly overcome by a wave of sadness. It hits her from time to time, mostly at unexpected moments but she knows this is because it’s the first time in a while that someone has mentioned his name, has reminded her of the stark reality that he is gone. “We do. Every day, really, and it still feels strange here without him. I’m here in what still feels like his office, and my…Will, my husband, they were close, and it’s been…it’s been difficult.”

“I knew him a little, many years ago. He really was a genuinely good man.” Claire smiles kindly at her and she feels the beginnings of tears building up as she nods, not managing to say anything. "Oh, I _am_ sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, no, it's fine." She takes a deep breath and gives Claire a small smile. "May I ask...was there something you wanted to talk to me about? Is it the story, has something happened?"

"Not at all." Claire answers quickly, shaking her head. "I really was just nearby and it had been playing on my mind a little that you were kind enough to pass something so huge to me, and I hadn't made time to come and thank you in person."

"I didn't give the story to you because I expected anything in return." She pauses, assuming Claire knows some of the background but possibly not all. "After everything it cost us here, I'm grateful to you for running it, that it didn't stay hidden. It would have been a bitter pill to swallow had Will gone to prison and Neal been holed up in South America for nothing. So I really should be thanking you."

"I'm not entirely sure why you gave it to me, if I'm quite honest," Claire says.

"Ah." She smiles at her and pauses to take another drink. "A former student of yours, now one of my producers. I asked him who the most responsible reporter he knew was and he gave me your name. He trusted you, I trust him, so it was a no-brainer."

"May I ask who?" Claire smiles back. "Can't guarantee I'll remember him, but you've got me curious now."

"Don Keefer," she says. "He's the EP on our ten o'clock show, with Elliot Hirsch."

"Always knew that boy would do okay." Claire gives a cheeky wink and her eyes twinkle in a way that reminds Mackenzie of Charlie, and makes her realise how full of older, wiser reporters this industry is, and now glad she is to know some of them.

"I was worried for a while, after what happened with the source, and after they threw my husband in prison for extreme stubbornness..." She smirks slightly and carries on. "Not the actual charge, but you know...anyway, I started to think I'd handed you a poisoned chalice."

"I've been given far worse," Claire says without a second of hesitation. "I've been given stories with no reputable source to back them up, I've been given things that were complete hokum, as have you, I'm sure. This one may have come with a lot of baggage, but it needed to be told. I am sorry about what happened with the source, that it had to end that way, and I'm very glad your husband's time in prison was mercifully short, but I have no regrets about reporting this story. None whatsoever."

"Thank you." She lets out a long, relieved breath, suddenly aware that she needed to hear what Claire just told her, that she needed to know she had been right to push for the story to be made public, despite the eventual consequences for everyone.

*

Arriving home not long after five after calling it a day once Claire left, she remembers thinking she would just take a quick nap, twenty minutes maybe, so when she wakes up an hour later and stumbles sluggishly to the kitchen, she isn't surprised to find a raft of texts on her phone, all from Will with the exception of one from Jim that reads _'God, Mac, please call Will when you get this, he's driving me insane here...'_

Filling a glass of water, she takes her phone and moves into the living room sitting down and flicking on the TV. Reading through Will's increasingly worried messages, she picks the most recent and hits reply. _'Came home early and fell asleep for a while...please stop worrying that something terrible has happened every time you can't get hold of me! See you later, x'_

A message comes back almost instantly and she laughs, picturing him telling Jim he's waiting ten more minutes and then he's going to look for her. _'Nope, not stopping anytime soon. Hope it was a good nap, honey. Love you, x'_

Twenty minutes later she's ensconced in E.T., briefly asking herself how she has somehow never seen it before, while simultaneously wondering what makes the funny little alien so damn cute. When eight o'clock comes, she's so committed to the film that she considers for a second continuing, skipping the show...but she can't do it, so she hits record for the remainder of the film and switches to ACN, smiling softly as Will's face appears on the screen.

It's a good show, smooth, seamless, Will is at his absolute best, and she's pleased to see a strong international slant, coverage of Syria and Russia taking precedent over the petty squabbles in politics that so often fill so much airtime. Jim and Will have slowly become a team, and she knows Jim is learning to read Will, to predict his next move (as much as his next move can ever be predicted) and she's proud of them both. With Charlie gone so suddenly and her own unexpected departure from the control room, it hasn't been easy for any of them. If she's honest, she's the one who has found it the most difficult. Will is still where he's most comfortable, Jim too, and the only change to their routine is her absence, whereas she sometimes feels a lot like she's been sent to another planet. It's really only the last few weeks that things are feeling like they're starting to settle, that they are all a little more at ease in their new roles, and it's a relief.

For the majority of the show, she resists, but when Will cuts to final commercials she finds herself on the phone asking Jim to put her in his ear, which he does without question. She hasn't done this from home before, only from her office, so this time she doesn't have the bonus of being able to see him on the live feed, but she knows his voice well enough to know what she's doing to him so she'll rely on that.

"Hey, Will," she says, quietly, smiling down the phone.

"Well, well..." She hears him smiling too. "If it isn't sleeping beauty."

"Sleeping beauty's awake now... _wide_ awake, actually." She pauses for a split second. "Amazing what a little nap can do. I really don't know how on earth I'm going to be able to wear myself out enough to sleep tonight though..."

"Hmm, you're pregnant so I guess taking a pill is out," he says. "Counting sheep? Does that actually work?"

"I don't think it does." She sighs into his ear, biting back a giggle as she hears him clearing his throat and she can picture him squirming in his seat. "You know what I _was_ thinking?"

"Tell me." His voice drops lower and she feels a pleasant warmth run through her. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking maybe you'd like to start from the top and work your way down, until you've kissed _every_ single inch of me..." Pausing again, she hears his breath catch slightly as she continues. "I want your mouth all over me, Billy. I know you can't say what you'd like to do to me because you're in the unfortunate position of being on camera right now, so how about you just tell me if I'm thinking along the right lines."

"One hundred fucking percent," he says quickly. "There are right lines and then there are right lines."

"You'll come straight home?" she asks with a smile.  
"I'll come straight home." His answer is swift and so firm that she can't help let out a giggle. "I'll be waiting," she says quietly. "Good show, honey."  
She doesn't wait for a reply and feels only slightly guilty about the hint of a flush in his cheeks when the final commercial ends and he appears back on the screen. Happy with how the show ends, she grabs the remote and decides to finish E.T. while she waits for him to get home.

Half an hour later, she hears him come through the door and tries frantically for a few seconds to compose herself before quickly admitting defeat.

"I didn't know if you'd eaten already so I picked up some-" He stops at the end of the couch, worry written all over his face. "Mac? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She wipes her eyes and tries to smile. "I'm okay, I am, I just..."

"Has something happened?" He puts the bag he was carrying down on the table and sits next to her. "Are you feeling alright?"

"He had to let him go." She gestures to the TV, aware that she's making little sense but completely unable to gain control of herself. "He loved him, he was his best friend and he nearly died but then he didn't, but he had to say goodbye anyway."

Stopping, she reaches for a tissue and blows her nose as he looks at the TV and realisation appears to dawn.

"E.T.?" He says, looking at her, a gentle smile on his face. "You were watching E.T.?"

"I started watching before the show," she sniffs again. "And it was so sweet and he was fine, they were dressing him up and taking him out for halloween, so I thought okay, I'll watch the rest after, and then it all got so sad, Billy!"

"You never saw it before?" he asks, handing her a fresh tissue.

"No." She shakes her head and wipes her nose one more time. "I didn't know it was going to be...I just couldn't...I mean, that poor little boy, he was so sad. I couldn't bear it if our little boy was ever that sad."

"I promise..." He takes her hand and squeezes gently. "If an alien ever lands in our backyard and  
our kid wants to keep him, we're keeping him. Okay?"

"I'm not sure how practical that is," she says with a faint laugh. "But yeah, okay. I'm sorry, I'm a disaster right now, I know. I tried to get a grip but it just kept getting worse!"

"Hey." He nudges her shoulder and smiles when she looks at him. "One word for you...Rudy. And I don't even have hormones to blame it on."

"That's true." She laughs and leans against him, tightening her hold on his hand and nodding at the bag on the table. "What's in the bag?"

"Peach iced tea, dumplings and cupcakes," he says.

"Everything I hoped you'd say." She shifts and moves her free hand to rest gently on his face, moving close enough that her lips are almost touching his. "God, I love you."

"You okay?" He kisses her quickly and pulls back.

"Yeah," she says, smiling at him. "I had a bit of a weird day, and then fucking E.T. and his little friend there put the lid on it, but I'm fine."

"Let's eat." He stands up and heads back to the kitchen, reappearing with plates and napkins. "And you can tell me what happened."

"Oh, it's nothing big, nothing happened, as such." She takes a plate and dives straight into the bag, pulling out the cartons of dumplings and rice. "I had someone come to see me this afternoon and it was just...I don't know, it brought up Charlie and made me think about you going to prison, and then as you may have noticed I seem to be an complete and utter emotional wreck, so E.T. was the final straw."

"Who came to see you?" he asks, taking a can of Coke from the bag and opening it.

"Claire Reiman," she says, not surprised when he looks blank. "She's the AP reporter I gave the Kundu story to."

"What did she want?" He frowns and reaches for a dumpling. "Has something else come up?"

"No, that was my first thought too." She shakes her head. "But she was just in the neighbourhood and decided to see if I was free, she wanted to thank me for the story, she said she felt bad for not having done it earlier."

"Seems reasonable." He sounds hesitant, like he isn't sure if he's missing something, and she reaches for his hand, squeezing to reassure him that she's fine.

"Completely," she says, smiling at him. "It was good to meet her, and actually, she said a few things that I think I needed to hear. It just brought up everything from those couple of months too, I suppose, that's all."

"Honey..." His frown reappears and she drops his hand to run her fingers lightly across his face.

"I'm _fine_ , Will." She sighs at the frown refusing to shift. "Look, we got married, you went to prison, Charlie died, I got his job, we're having a baby. It's kind of a lot and some days it knocks me a little bit sideways...today was just one of those days."

"Okay," he says, staring intently at her and eventually nodding his head. "Okay."

"Finish that dumpling and put the cake in the kitchen...for after." She smirks as he pops the last dumpling into his mouth before picking up the bag from the table and heading in the direction of the kitchen.

"You said something earlier." He walks back in and takes her hand, pulling her slowly up from the couch and kissing her forehead softly as she leans into his chest.

"Something about you kissing every inch of me?" She looks up and smiles. "Bearing in mind there are significantly more inches of me than there used to be."

"Every one of them as beautiful as the rest," he says with an eyebrow quirked. "But no, not that, I- "

"Yes, that." She stops him, sliding her hands up under his t-shirt, her fingers resting on his stomach. "You're not bailing on me now."

"Oh believe me, I wouldn't dream of it. You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this." He stops to kiss her, smiling against her lips as she scratches her nails lightly down his abdomen until her fingers rest on his belt. "Since you appeared in my ear and told me exactly what you wanted."

"Then what?" she asks, looking up at him, puzzled slightly. "What did I say earlier?"

Squeezing her fingers, he starts to move towards the bedroom and she follows, the fluttering deep in her belly making her smile, the feeling of their baby making itself known in the last couple of weeks still rendering her amazed every time.

"You said 'our little boy'?" They walk into the bedroom and he unbuttons her shirt, from the bottom, his hands tenderly stroking her belly, the softness of his touch making her sigh in complete contentment.

"I did, didn't I?" She smiles at him as he rests both of his hands on her stomach. "Just a feeling. Ever since I've been feeling the baby move a little bit, I keep thinking _he_ , I don't know why. It probably means nothing, but we'll see, I guess."

"Do you want to find out?" he asks, pushing the shirt off her shoulders and guiding her gently down onto the bed, watching as she slides her pants off and kicks them to the floor. "When we go next week, do you want to know if you're right?"

"I think," she says, pausing as she moves up the bed and stretches, her arms above her head. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Then we'll find out," he says, a grin creeping onto his lips as he climbs onto the bed beside her and takes her hand, his voice dropping to the tone that never fails to make her shiver. "But tonight...I'm going to cover every bit of you. I'm going to kiss your eyelids, your fingertips, I'm going to kiss every single freckle, every fucking pore, Mackenzie."

"Oh God, Will." Her voice is barely a sigh as she feels his mouth on the side of her neck. "Do it."

He moves from her neck to her mouth, his tongue teasing her lips so slowly, so deliberately, but with a lightness of touch that makes her feel like she's dreaming somehow, like the mornings she would feel his kisses on her so clearly, only to wake up alone, hit with the realisation that they weren't together and it had been years since he'd kissed her. When he slides his tongue inside her mouth and strokes his fingers slowly down the side of her face, the thoughts fall from her mind and it's all she can do to remember to breathe. His fingers thread through hers and his head dips lower, his mouth pressing a row of soft, delicate kisses along her collarbone, faintly tickling, until he reaches her shoulder and pauses, his lips latching on with more pressure, his teeth scraping lightly. Sliding a hand into his hair, she releases a long breath and moves her fingers to the back of his neck, scratching her nails slowly across his skin.

Lifting his head, he raises her hand and brings it to his mouth, watching her as he kisses her wrist, his tongue running around the bone, moving to her fingers, his lips softly kissing each one. She keeps her eyes on his, biting her lip as his gaze intensifies, his eyes turning darker as he takes her index finger into his mouth, sucking gently on it. Moaning, she moves her hand down his neck to rest on his back, feeling his muscles tighten under her fingers and watching him as his eyes remain firmly on hers.

When he releases her finger from his mouth and his lips start to trace circles on her chest, his hand sliding into her bra, she gasps at the contact, aware that he knows her breasts are almost unbearably sensitive once again. His touch is so soft, so tender, that she finds herself slipping a hand into her panties before she realises it, desperate to release the aching tension she feels building with every stroke of his fingers against her nipple.

Pulling his hand from her bra, he moves away from her and she moans at the loss of contact, murmuring his name, sighing when he takes hold of her panties and drags them slowly down her thighs and pushes her hand away. He takes hold of her knees, parting them slightly wider and bringing his mouth to her thigh, his lips warm against her skin. His tongue starts to move higher where she's wet, and hot, and her breath catches as he stops suddenly.

"You taste..." He looks up at her and licks his lips, his voice low. "So good."

"Don't stop." She can barely speak, her words tumbling out in stuttered breaths, relief running through her when he carries on, his tongue intent on lapping her up, an impossible task as she feels herself getting wetter by the second.

For a few long, delicious minutes he explores her, his tongue in turns rough and tender, his fingers parting her to allow him better access. She moans, softly at first because it feels so good, but when it crosses the line from good to spectacular, her moans grow louder and she clutches at the sheets as she comes hard, throbbing against his tongue.

"Holy..." She takes a shaky breath, uncurls her fingers from the sheets and moans again. "Holy shitting fuck, Billy."

"I'm going to take that as positive feedback on my skills." He smirks and moves back up the bed, propping himself up on his elbow beside her.

"You should." She turns onto her side and shifts closer, reaching out to touch him, her hand lazily caressing his arm. "I have nothing but praise for your skills."

Closing the distance, she kisses him, skimming her tongue across his bottom lip as her fingers dance lightly down his arm. Taking his hand, she guides it lower, smiles against his mouth as he pauses briefly to stroke her belly, before pushing his hand where she wants them. She doesn't need to come again, she just has an overwhelming urge for his fingers on her, a yearning for his touch as she kisses him. Almost as soon as his thumb and forefinger start to move slowly against her, she realises she certainly wouldn't _object_ to another orgasm, if that what he's decided to aim for, although she knows if this were sport, the scores would be somewhat unfairly tipped in her favour right now. His fingers take up a slow, easy rhythm and her musings melt into the distance as she deepens the kiss and nudges her tongue against his, sighing softly into his mouth.

She knows what he's about to do right before he does it, the tiny tap of his thumb combined with one long, slow stroke of his finger that never fails to hit the mark. Pulling her mouth from his, she presses her face into his neck, his name falling from her lips as she comes again, not as hard this time but somehow leaving her _more_ breathless than before. She rests against him, her breathing slowly returning to normal, her lips placing a cluster of hot kisses beneath his ear before she eventually lifts her head to look at him, smiling at the look in his eyes. He never even made it out of his jeans, yet he's looking as satisfied as she feels, all from nothing more than making her happy...she's aware that she's riding the crest of a double orgasm but still, she thinks he might just be the perfect husband.

"I like this new habit of yours," he says quietly, reaching for a section of her hair and twisting it around his finger, something he does frequently now that she's growing it longer, something he always used to do when they first met. It makes her smile.

"Which new habit?" she asks, her smile growing wider. "I have a few, I blame them all on my hormones, which I can, essentially, blame on you, so this habit you like is probably entirely your fault anyway..."

"The calling Jim and demanding to be put in my ear thing." He slides his finger from her hair and his eyes follow the twist of the strands as they spring up and away from him.

"I wouldn't say _demanding_..." she murmurs. "But you like that, do you?"

"I do." He nods and she giggles as he places a kiss on the end of her nose. "Those nights always end particularly well for us, I've noticed."

"Then my cunning master plan is working," she says, smiling. 

"Oh yeah," he replies. "It's definitely working."

"I do feel like tonight worked out a little better for me than for you though..." She pauses and glances down, running a hand across the waistband of his jeans. "I could-"

"I'm good." He stops her. "Consider that one in the bank for you."

"I'll pay it back." She smirks at him and moves her hand to rest against his face. "With interest."

He lifts her hand from his cheek and kisses her palm, grinning when she laughs at how it tickles and tries to pull it back, only for him to hold on tighter and run his tongue quickly up the back of her middle finger.

"We have cupcakes in the kitchen," he says. "You probably should replenish your energy."

"I really should." She agrees, thinking how good a cupcake sounds right now, and how much she loves him for having the sense to pick them up on his way home.

"You want to eat them here, don't you?" His eyebrows raise and she smiles.

"I just want to lick the frosting off your fingers," she says, lowering her voice and looking up at him through her lashes. "I don't really care where I do that."

He is up, out of the bed and across the room before she has time to blink, disappearing down the hallway like a man on a mission. Settling back against the pillows, she stretches and yawns slightly, reaching a hand down to her belly when she she feels the now familiar sensation of the baby making his presence known. She grins when she thinks about Leona's words at lunch. Dumplings, orgasms, and cupcakes...not a bad start to the weekend.


End file.
